Gareth A Davies has been a sports journalist for The Daily Telegraph since 1993. He is Boxing and MMA Correspondent. Has been intrigued by fight and combat sports from a young age. Personal sporting passions are rugby, cricket, and martial arts. Also covers the Paralympic Games. Hates getting his hair cut. Follow on Twitter @GarethADaviesDT

Amir Khan to spar again with Manny Pacquiao in LA

Amir Khan has his routine at the Wild Card Gym, Freddie’s Roach’s Hollywood training base. He runs, he goes on the pads, then he spars in the afternoon. The plan is laid out by Roach, thousands of miles away.

Before his last two fights, Khan has had his mobile phone confiscated by Roach so that the many friends of the British fighter leaves him in peace. Right now, that mobile phone is a direct line of instruction from The Philippines to Los Angeles.

Khan revealed in the last few hours that he speaks daily with Roach who gives him his training routine. Roach is in Baguio City where he is in camp with Filipino idol Manny Pacquiao, in phase one of their training ahead of the November 14 meeting with Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas. Pacquiao and Roach return to the Wild Card in eight days’ time.

Khan said yesterday that he eagerly awaits the return, next week, of Roach and Pacquiao to the heat of LA. He also insisted that there is no better way for him to prepare for his next fight – his first defence of the WBA light-welterweight title, against Dmitry Salita in the northern UK city of Newcastle on Dec 5, than by being around and inside the buzz generated by Pacquiao and his entourage.

Khan is thrilled by the continued sparring he has had with Pacquiao. “I can still mature, I’m at 80 per cent at the moment in terms of the fighter I can be. I’m still only 22. I’ll hit my peak at 23, 24, my body is still going to develop. I’m working with one of the best coaches in the world and I’m sparring with one of the best fighters in the world. It can only make me better and better. I want to be the best fighter in the [140lb] division.”

“Training is going really well. I got into shape quickly, but we want to peak at the right time. Training has gone really well. Freddie will be back in LA soon, with Manny. At the moment, we speak daily about what I need to do, who I need to work with at the gym. For me, it’s nice to get away from home in England and back to working on the game again.”

Khan also insisted that the move from lightweight to light-welterweight, a step up of 5 lbs, has made a huge difference to him. “I feel so much stronger at light welterweight. Those 5 lbs make a huge difference. At lightweight I was not as strong walking into the fight.”

Frank Warren, Khan’s promoter, played down suggestions that Khan could face another British prospect, John Murray, soon. “The WBA ordered the mandatory defence, against Dmitry Salita. Murray had an offer many months ago, but he never got back. This is bigger fight with Salita, Murray is a lightweight. With the greatest respect to Murray,

Amir is getting a lot of interest from the States. He is trained by one of best trainers of this generation in Freddie Roach, you’ve heard what Manny Pacquiao says about him, and Amir will get better and better.”

Khan insisted he was ready to get back to work. “I had a long break, I wanted to get in early, to work on things. I’m working with Freddie’s assistant, and by the time he comes, I’ll be ready to go on the pads and to spar with him…Freddie has a game plan for me to follow…Salita is a tough, durable guy and wants to take the title away from me.”

The fight has been built up in some quarters as the first world title fight for some time between a Jew and a Muslim. Salita, born in Ukraine but raised in Brooklyn, is a devout Jew. Khan said: “We are pro sportsman, regardless of our religion. We respect each other’s religion but it has nothing to do with our sporting contest. We both want to win. Every fight I am getting better and better, and against this guy I am expecting a tough fight, and a long night.”

Roach, meanwhile, speaking from The Philippines, enthuses over his young charge: “Amir’s at the gym right now, his sparring is all set up for him. Salita is a good boxer, not a big puncher. But Amir is a better boxer, and getting better all the time.”

“We will work on the gameplan, stick to the game plan, I won’t let him off the leash, he’s not going to make early mistakes again, and I’m expecting him to be better than ever when he defends his title on Dec 5.”